


All I Wanna Do

by ladybugbella



Category: Hanson
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-08
Updated: 2014-05-08
Packaged: 2018-01-24 00:24:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 18,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1584902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladybugbella/pseuds/ladybugbella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based loosely on the song 'All I wanna do is make love to you' by Heart</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

He stands at the apex of the bridge, overlooking the river that swirled and tumbled below him. He brushes away the tears that clung to his face and mingled with the rain that was steadily falling around him.   
He glances down at the box he held in his hands and his heart plummets once more as he thinks of the betrayal that he’d had to endure at the hands of the woman he loves… loved.. He’s not sure which one fits anymore but he was definitely leaning towards the latter as the pain in his heart intensifies with each passing moment.  
A loud clap of thunder breaks him from his reverie and he realises for the first time that he was wet right through and frozen to the bone and with a last look at the river below he brings his arm back and with as much force as he can muster, he tosses the box containing the large diamond ring into the swirling tundra below. Never to been seen again.


	2. Isaac

(Isaac)  
I stand at the arrivals gate, waiting for my brothers’ flight to arrive. He was coming to visit me for the first time since I’d moved to Australia 2 years ago. I missed him, he and I had always been close and while I tried to get home to Tulsa every so often, it wasn’t the same as just being down the road from each other. Taylor, my brother, was getting away for a last hurrah as a single man as he was engaged to be married to a sweet girl he’d met and I honestly don’t know how he managed to capture her heart.. or how she managed to capture his! He was the consummate playboy and he liked chasing tail whenever he could, but somehow he’s found ‘the one’ and I’m not going to be the one to doubt his change in lifestyle, a lifestyle that I honestly don’t know how he used to be able to do as I’m on the complete flip side of the coin. I’ve been in a steady relationship for 18 months now and I can’t imagine life without her. I’ve always been that way though, a real sucker for love and relationships. Ever since I knew what the term meant I wanted a girlfriend, I think even before then I wanted one! And now I not only have one, but I have the most perfect of all. She was a waitress at the local pub I go to all the time and we got talking one night after my housemate had ditched me to play in a darts tournament.  
Her name was Skylar, Sky for short and she had black hair, cropped short in a pixie cut that enhanced her bright green eyes and made them seem even bigger than they already were. She reminded me a little bit of one of those Japanese anime characters, you know with the big eyes and little mouths.. Although Sky didn’t have a small mouth, her mouth, like the rest of her, was utterly perfect. But I digress… I look up at the arrivals gate and notice that there was a steady stream of people coming through the doors and I start craning my neck to see if I could spot the familiar blonde head of my brother and I don’t have to wait long before I see him loping along with his mountain of luggage in tow. I step forward and greet him with a hug and his first words were along the lines of “What do you call that hairstyle? Are you stuck in the 50’s? Oh and where’s the nearest coffee place.. I’m DYING!” Yeah. Nice to see you too Tay . I see not everything had changed about him. He still ragged on every choice I made with my hair and was still addicted to coffee.  
We make our way through the parking garage and before long we’re out on the freeway, headed towards home but not before I pull into a roadside McDonalds. “Dude. I am NOT drinking coffee from Mickey D’s..” Taylor announces as he sees what my plan was. I roll my eyes, “Suck it up princess, its café style coffee… and it’s a million times better than back in the states..” He refuses to believe me and it’s not until he takes the first, albeit forced sip of his latte that he believes me and lets out a slight exclamation of surprise, “Holy shit! This IS real coffee… damn!” I laugh and shake my head in amusement, “AND it’s cheaper than Starbucks..” I laugh as we head back to the car and resume the journey home.  
Halfway on our journey, he turns to me , “So am I finally going to meet the elusive Sky on this visit? Or is she going to be too busy like she was to come home with you this year?”  
I shake my head, “Tay , you know that it wasn’t because she was too busy. She was studying and couldn’t get out of her exams.. Don’t be a jackass or you WON’T meet her..” I tell him with a matter of fact look. “I can’t believe you haven’t even shown us pictures of her, she must be heinous or something..” I reach over and slap Taylor on the side, “She is NOT heinous. She’s perfect, just.. I didn’t want the first time you guys saw her to be on a computer screen.. I wanted to introduce you all in person..”  
“You know that doesn’t fly with mom, right? She’s starting to doubt if Sky’s even a girl.. She was thinking you’d gone gay on us, man..” I raise an eyebrow “Well you can assure mom and anyone else, I am still VERY straight and that Sky is completely one hundred percent woman which you’ll see when she comes over tomorrow night.”  
“Tomorrow night? You’re going to make me wait that long to meet her? I thought I’d be meeting her today, and by the way, can we go out tonight? I want to see if the nightlife is as good as I remember it being years ago..” Hmm, so maybe Taylor hasn’t changed all that much after all..  
“Yeah we can go out, but I don’t want a late night. I was up all night working, but I’ve got you a key for the house so you can feel free to come and go while you’re here. I’m not going to be your babysitter.” “Ah bro, you’re one of a kind, you know that.. Right?” Taylor reaches over and claps me on the shoulder, “This is my last hurrah after all, and I need to let my hair down in a completely safe place now that I’m nearly a married man!”  
I shake my head as I pull onto my street and head the short distance to my house and hit the button to let myself into the garage and ignore the comments Taylor makes about my house being less than stellar. I know it’s not as fancy as my house back in Tulsa, but I’m here in Australia to have a break from that life. To be normal for a while, or as ‘normal’ as I could be. So I was living in a small 3 bedroom brick veneer home in a quiet suburb that was named after two birds. Quaint. I know. But it was home for now and I’d made it mine. I had had a housemate, but he’d since moved out to go on tour with his band, one that I’d helped write songs for and helped with the recording of their album, so it wasn’t as though I’d completely turned my back on my musical roots. They were still there… I was just having a slight vacation from them.  
I let us into the house and show Taylor to his room and he starts off on an exploration of my things, picking photos up and flicking through books and magazines. “This is all very homely of you, Ike..” he tells me and I falter for a minute, unused to that nickname nowadays. You see, while I’d tried to live as normal a life as possible here in the suburbs, I thought using my commonly known name would be too much of an obvious giveaway so I’d reverted to my legal, Christian name of Clarke and very rarely did anyone call me Isaac or Ike – usually only family and friends from back home, so I knew that it would take a little bit of time to get used to it again while Tay was here.  
I leave my brother to settle in and rest up from his flight and a little later on, we’re ready for a night out on the town and I see that my brother may have somewhat changed his party lifestyle, he sure as sugar still knew how to have a good time and it was about 3am when I called it a night and told him I’d see him in the morning when he got home and after making sure he had my address in his phone, I bid him goodnight and left the club, gladly sinking into my comfortable bed when arriving home and not waking until late the next morning.


	3. Taylor

Oh god. Where the hell am I? What did I do last night and more importantly, whose arm is this on my chest?!  
I slowly crack open my eyes and look over at the body beside me on the large bed and realise that I’m not at my brothers house and it appears that I’m in a motel room. Why am I here? Well, no, I think I can guess WHY I found myself in a seedy hotel room with a nameless body beside me, but what I don’t know is HOW I got here. Last thing I remember is starting to walk back to Ike’s place in the pouring rain after having lost my coat and not being able to find a cab at 4am.   
Things start to come back to me the more I think about it and I’m able to piece together the nights activities. A car had pulled up beside me and a gorgeous woman had offered me a ride, she said that she couldn’t just drive by and leave me walking without a coat or umbrella in the pouring rain and I was so drunk that I didn’t even think twice about opening the door and crawling into the passenger seat of her late model sedan. She asked me where I needed to be dropped off and I couldn’t for the life of me remember Ike’s address and it was only now that I remember that Isaac had put his address in my phone for a just in case.  
So there I was. Sitting in this stranger’s car. This GORGEOUS stranger’s car and I had no idea where home was so she suggested that we just drive for a while to see if anything looked familiar. I agreed without hesitation because there was some kind of unexplainable draw towards this woman. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was, but I just knew that I couldn’t let her go just yet.  
We continued to drive for about half an hour and a neon sign of a motel came into view and I knew right then how this night was going to end. “Turn in here..” I said softly as I lay my hand on her thigh, her short black, pleated skirt had ridden up and was exposing the tops of her stockings. I watched her swallow deeply and she gives a slight nod and pulls into the motel. I had gotten us a room without thinking what I was doing and I was DEFINITELY not thinking about my fiancé back home as the stranger and I kissed passionately against the back of the door as we tore each other’s clothes off. My wet ones making squelching noises as they hit the floor, a noise that will always stick in my memory, much in the same way that her cries of delight that echoed through the room as she came will stay in my memory.  
We made love several times and there were moments where I couldn’t determine where she ended and I began and I loved it. I loved that we didn’t have to talk. That we didn’t need to cheapen the moment with names. All we were, were strangers having an amazingly erotic rendezvous in a seedy motel somewhere in the back blocks of my brother’s town. We’d fallen asleep when the sun was rising and now, several hours later, I find myself in the position I am. With her arm across my chest.  
I realised that I had to get out of there and just as I was trying to figure out my escape, she lets out an exclamation of horror and springs from the bed. “Oh my god. Oh my god. What did I do.. holy fuck..” she starts grabbing for her clothes and pulling them on as quickly as she could then she stops and looks at me, almost for the first time. “Oh god… I’m so sorry.. I don’t ever do this..” and then tears start to stream down her makeup streaked face and she hurries for the door and I make a move to stop her and she holds her hands up, “NO! Please don’t.. I have to go.. I have to get out of here.. last night was amazing but it was a mistake. A HUGE mistake.” Her tears continue to fall and she fumbles with the chain on the door and just as she gets it undone I place my hand on the door and look at her, “At least tell me your name? I want to know who the amazing woman that had changed my life is..”  
“No.. if I tell you my name that makes it real. I don’t want to know yours and I don’t want to tell you mine. Let’s just pretend this never happened.. I’m sorry..” she whispers the last words as she pulls the door open and runs towards her car. I watch her drive away before realising that I was standing in the doorway naked and a cold wind breaks me from my reverie and I go back inside, dress and now that I’ve remembered where my brother lives, I call a cab and make my way home.


	4. Skylar

Oh god what have I done. When I woke up this morning in an unfamiliar bed next to an extremely unfamiliar body, my heart plummeted and my stomach lurched. I couldn’t believe that I’d actually done what I’d done.. that I’d had a night of wild sex with a stranger. Someone whose name I didn’t even know! But that point aside, I had a boyfriend. I had an amazingly perfect boyfriend, who I loved so unconditionally. So it pained me to my very core to think that I’d betrayed him. That I’d given myself to another man.  
When I left the motel, without a backwards glance I might add – I had tears streaming down my face and I honestly didn’t know where I was going or how I was going to get there in one piece so I pulled over on the roadside and buried my face in my arms, crying heavily as the realisation and shock of what I’d done hits me then added to the shock comes the shame and I throw open the door and empty the contents of my stomach onto the road below.  
I fall back against the car seat as my stomach finishes lurching and run the back of my hand over my mouth before trying to compose myself enough to drive which I’m able to do in several long, painful minutes and I realise I need to head home. I have to wash last night off my skin and as I pull back out into the traffic, I vow to never mention this night or to even think about it ever again.   
I know I should tell Clarke, I should be honest with him, but I just can’t bring myself to tell him what I did, to tell him that I did the one thing I’d sworn to never do to him and that was cheat. I never wanted to be the same as all the other women he’d had in his life and here I was, falling into bed with a random stranger.  
How did I make such a mess of things?  
I get back to my apartment and fall into the shower and turn the water on so it was scoldingly hot and scrub every inch of my body, not wanting to have the strangers scent on my skin but no matter how much I scrubbed and how much soap I used, his smell lingered and within moments my tears were falling freely once more, mingling with the water cascading over my head and I crumple on the floor of the shower and sob until I have no tears left and the water runs cold.  
I wrap myself in my fluffy robe and make my way to my bed where I curl up under the covers, not bothering to dry myself. The less time I looked at or thought about my body, the better. I hear my phone ring and the sound of my boyfriend’s sweet voice over the answering machine makes my heart ache and my tears start falling again. He was calling to wish me a good morning and to let me know that he had a surprise for me at the house when I was able to come over and visit. He finishes his message by telling me he hoped that I had a good day studying and that he missed me and loves me.  
Hearing him say that he loves me makes what I did so much worse and the fact that he had a surprise for me cuts me deep to the core. I couldn’t face him… how could I when I’d betrayed him? When he sees me he’s going to know that something is wrong. That I’ve done something bad.   
God. I’m a horrible horrible person.  
I spent the day hiding in bed. I didn’t study. I didn’t eat. I didn’t do anything other than nap on and off all day, which was probably a mistake because every time I woke, I had a moment of beautiful peacefulness where my indiscretion wasn’t at the forefront of my mind, but within seconds, that feeling of bliss is destroyed and I’m left aching, physically and mentally.  
Clarke called a few more times during the day, each message he left was sweeter than the first and I knew that I had to go see him. I had to make sure he knew I loved him. I didn’t care about the surprise that he said he had, I just wanted to see the man I love.  
**  
I nervously smooth my shirt down over my stomach as I make my way to the front door of Isaac’s house and instead of letting myself in like I usually would , I knock softly and worry on my bottom lip for a moment as I wait for him to answer the door. When the door swings open though, I feel the blood drain from my body and become replaced by ice water as I see him.   
The stranger.   
The man I spent last night fucking.   
Standing in my boyfriends doorway.   
Oh god. What have I done?


	5. Isaac

I had spent several hours cooking dinner for Sky and Tay , even though he didn’t deserve it. He’d been hiding in his room all day, I was putting this down to his big night as well as his jetlag. But then again, he always had been a night owl.  
When he finally graced me with his presence, he bee lined for the coffee pot and wouldn’t answer any of my questions before he’d drained a large portion of his first cup when one of the first things he asked me was why I didn’t have any family photos around the house and I bite my bottom lip. I’d known this was coming and I’d been trying to think of a way to get around the explanation without sounding like a complete asshole and making it seem like I was ashamed of my life back in the ‘states and ashamed of my family and my roots.   
I stir the pasta sauce as I search for my answers and I finally sigh and look over at my brother. “Here I’m just Clarke, I’m not a third of a teen pop band who had a fleeting success a few years ago. I’m able to be me. If I did have pictures out, the questions would come and then the taunting and then I would find it hard to recover from it.. whereas with it just being me, I don’t have to worry about the jeering or the fact that I’m instantly labelled as a ‘one hit wonder’..” Tay interrupts me with a snort, “You know we had more than one hit. We were awesome, man..”  
“Yeah Tay, I know that. But it’s not what I’m trying to say. Here I don’t have to live in the past. Here I’m making a name for myself. I’ve got a great job, I’m still doing a bit of music here and there but it’s not who I am anymore…”   
I swallow around the lump in my throat and look away from my brother, not wanting to see his face and the tell-tale disappointment that I was sure to see on it. I turn back to my simmering pasta sauce and stir it slowly while I let Tay process what I’d just said and I’m surprised when I feel his hand on my shoulder, “It’s okay Ike, If I’m being honest, I’m jealous of you for the fact that you got to start fresh. That you’re living the life you want to while I just sit on my ass and wait for the next royalty cheque to come in. How come it was so easy for you?” he asks and I turn to look at him, “Dude, it wasn’t easy and it still isn’t easy… every day is a battle and I’m constantly waiting for the shoe to fall and for someone to realise who I am, or rather, who I was and for my comfy little world I’ve built here for myself will come crashing down around me. I don’t want that to happen. I want to have a safe, quiet life here.. I think that’s part of the reason why I haven’t even told Sky about my past…”  
Tay looks up as he hears my revelation, “You haven’t told her? Why not? I thought you were serious about this one…” I nod and sigh, “I am serious. Deeply serious. But I don’t know.. I think I’m just afraid that once she finds out the truth about me, that I used to be a long haired, dancing pop singer, she might not want to be around me anymore…”  
Tay shakes his head and nudges me a little, “Bro, you’re not going to lose her. If she’s into you as she seems from what you tell me then there’s no way that something like a history of pop music isn’t going to turn her off..” I know he’s right and I know that I have to tell Skylar the truth, “Maybe I’ll tell her tonight…” I muse out loud while I look over at the clock, “She should be here soon. I told her to come for dinner and that I had a surprise for her… she’s been asking about my family a lot lately, I just hope she doesn’t think it’s a crappy surprise, getting to meet you..” I tease with a chuckle and move to the large bowl of minced meat and start forming meatballs to add into the pasta sauce and screw my nose up as I hear the door, “Oh hey Tay, can you get that? I’m kinda covered in meat..” I laugh and wiggle my sticky fingers at my brother and he nods and heads off to the door while I continue with dinner.


	6. Taylor

I slept late and took my time starting the day , I didn’t want to acknowledge the fact that I’d cheated on my fiancée, I didn’t want to be the old me. I mean sure, I liked it while it happened and I can’t deny that there was something special there between the beautiful girl with the pixie face and myself last night, but I was as good as married! I went over and over in my head trying to rationalise my actions and came to the conclusion that I was just going to have to keep my indiscretion between myself and the nameless stranger.  
When I finally dragged myself out of bed and into the much needed shower, I wasn’t any clearer in my thinking and was struggling to fight off a headache, which I know was part hangover, part jet lag and a whole lot of guilt but I knew that coffee would fix it so I was extremely relieved to see that Isaac had a large pot on the warmer and I made my way to it, holding up a hand to silence my brother until I’d consumed a good portion of the sweet, sweet nectar of the gods that is coffee.  
While I was drinking my coffee, I spent some more time looking around the house and realised that there were no family photographs. I wasn’t sure what to think of it, normally my brother would have photos all over the place so once the caffeine was coursing through my veins, I broached the subject and asked him why there weren’t any pictures of us or the family around and it worried me a little when he looked away and wouldn’t meet my gaze, then his silence for several moments concerned me even more.  
He then went on to tell me that he didn’t want to live in the past, that he wanted to be Clarke here and not Isaac – one half of the pop duo ‘Hudson park’. He said he didn’t want to have to face the scrutiny of friends or acquaintances when they put two and two together and realised that he wasn’t “Isaac Hudson, casual musician and graphic designer” but he was in actual fact ‘Isaac Hanson – older third of the brother group who sang to cheesy 90’s pop songs’.  
He also said that he didn’t want to be labelled as a one hit wonder and I had to interject there and correct him, because there was NO way we were simply ‘one hit wonders’, we had Grammy nominations, we had MTV awards, we had all kinds of accolades and we had thousands of fans, hell, we STILL have fans even though we haven’t put out a record in close to five years now. So I think part of me was hurt when he said that he didn’t want to be known for his past but then I stopped and thought about it and I realised that I was actually jealous.  
I lived my life in the past. I lived from one royalty cheque to the next, I mean, don’t get me wrong. I had a bit saved up so I could live comfortably, but those monthly cheques sure didn’t hurt either.  
One thing that surprised me though about Isaac, er, I mean Clarke as he wants to be known as, he told me that he hadn’t even told Skylar about his past. I honestly don’t know how he’s gotten around not telling her, has he just fabricated his whole past and told her a heap of white lies? I guess I’m going to find out because she’s apparently coming over tonight for dinner, which by the look of the pots on the stove was going to be Ike's favourite dish. Spaghetti with meat balls. Simple and easy, but I’m not going to complain ‘cause there’s something special about his meat balls, they have this flavour that I can never replicate and he’s sworn he’ll take the recipe to the grave with him.   
But maybe I can get him drunk and weasel it out of him!  
Speaking of the meat balls, Isaac has just stuck his hands into the big bowl of meat and spices to start forming them when there’s a knock at the door. My brother asks me to see who it was as he was covered in meat and so with a last sip of my coffee I head through the house and upon opening the door, my jaw drops in shock and I stare into the eyes of someone I never expected to see again.  
The person I’d spent all day trying to erase from my mind was now standing on my brothers doorstep with a horror stricken look on her own face and I knew it would be a mirror to my own shocked face.  
I step out onto the stoop and pull the door closed part way behind me, “What are you doing here? How did you find me?” I ask in a hushed but frantic voice and she stares at me like I’ve sprouted antlers, “What do you mean what am I doing here? What are YOU doing here?..” Then her face pales. “Oh my god… please please PLEASE don’t tell me your name is Tay ..”  
I stare at her in confusion as she says my name and a painfully bright light bulb goes on in my head and I curse out loud, “Shit. Oh my god. Skylar?” and I feel my stomach lurch painfully as I realise just what I’d done and who I’d done it with. My brothers girlfriend. The woman he was intending on marrying some day. Oh crap. Oh crap. Oh crap.  
She was looking at me in complete fear as I start internalising everything and she shakes her head in an effort to clear her own mind and she opens and closes her mouth a few times then when she speaks her voice is hushed and timid. “He can never know.”  
And I agree. Oh how I agree.


	7. Skylar

The minutes that unfurled after Tay opened the door seemed to last for an eternity and I couldn’t believe my ears when he said my name. I honestly didn’t think that it was possible to feel worse for cheating on Isaac, but now, knowing that I’d cheated on him with his brother made things a million times worse.  
I can’t be held completely responsible, I mean, Clarke never EVER talks about his family and to this day I’d never seen a picture of him and hell, for all I knew, Taylor was home in wherever it is that he lives, NOT standing on my boyfriends front step. Oh lord. Who am I trying to kid? Even though I didn’t know who the stranger was – I still willingly stopped. Gave him a ride, then well, gave him a few more rides – if you get my drift.  
I still don’t know what possessed me to stop last night, the person – I couldn’t tell if it was male or female through the pouring rain – just looked so pathetic walking there being splashed by cars as they drove past without a care that I just felt the urge to stop. Then when he looked at me through the window, those piercing blue eyes just went right to my core, not in a bad way mind you, in an extremely delightful way and I couldn’t deny the attraction I felt towards the wet stranger.  
I knew that I was in trouble when he suggested we pull into a motel but I didn’t want to say no. I don’t think I COULD have said no, actually. That’s silly, of course I could have said no. But I didn’t want to. I wasn’t even thinking rationally when he asked me to come in and all I could think about was what would his lips feel like against mine, the answer to that came within moments of the door closing behind us and the next wave of time passed in a blur. It was a jumble of clothes being shed and lips and teeth pressing against skin.  
I wish I could say that I had been drunk, but I was completely sober, he on the other hand wasn’t – so I suppose he could be granted leniency in that case, but there was no denying that he was into it as much as I was and this was clearly evident in the fact that we made love several times during the time we spent tangled in the sheets of the dodgy motel. But when the cold light of day hits, I was horrified at my own actions and I couldn’t help feeling like the biggest piece of crap alive.  
And now here I was with my bad decision in front of me in the flesh and looking at me like I needed to say something. My mouth opens and closes several times before I say the first and only thing that I can think of, “He can never know.”  
And I meant it. Clarke could never know what had happened between his brother and I because I know it would hurt him so badly especially seeing as I had promised him time and again that I would never treat him the way his past girlfriends had. I would never cheat on him. Yet what did I do? I guess it’s true when they say ‘Never say never’ because it will ALWAYS come back to bite you on the ass.  
I open my mouth to say something else when the door opens and Clarke is there with confusion on his face until he sees me and his face breaks into a sunshine filled smile, “SKY! It’s you! Tay, why haven’t you let her in?” he asks as he pushes past his slightly stunned brother and wraps his arms around me and kisses me softly and I summon up all my acting skills to put on a normal façade and hug him tightly. “OH see, I was just getting all the goss about your childhood while I had a chance…” I joke and look over at Tay with a slightly pleading look in my eyes and he gives me a slight smile and nods at his brother, “Yeah bro. I was telling her all about how you like to eat your own ear wax..”  
A slight wave of relief washes over me as I see Tay is going to play along with my charade and I let out a slow breath as Clarke laughs and shakes his head, “Hey, at least I was just eating ear wax.. you were all into chowing down on your boogers..” Clarke laughingly nudges his brother then motions to the door, “Shall we go inside? I have a gorgeous bottle of red with our names on it.” Tay looks at me and then his brother and nods, “Yeah, that sounds good. I know I could do with a drink..”  
As we walk into the house I feel a slight tug in my stomach and I hate the fact I’m lying to the man I love, but I rest assured in the knowledge that Taylor seemed fine to go along with the deception. I’m pretty sure he didn’t want to incur the wrath of his brother! So I settle down on my usual spot on the sofa as Clarke pours us generous glasses of red wine and I sit quietly for the most part as the brothers’ trade insults and teasing jokes as they catch up on the time they’ve missed in each other’s lives since they’d last seen each other.  
I still can’t help but feel sick to my stomach every time Tay and I make eye contact and I feel like a complete and utter two faced lying whore when Isaac holds my hand or smiles at me but the worst thing of all… when he kisses me, it’s not his lips I’m feeling on mine.


	8. Isaac

I was so pleased that Sky and Tay were getting along so well but I felt like there was a dark cloud hanging over my head as I think back to the conversation with my brother earlier about how I haven’t been entirely honest with my girlfriend because out of all the people I’ve gotten to know here in Australia, She’s the one that I should be most comfortable with, especially seeing as I had a rather sizeable diamond sitting in a shoe box in my closet, just waiting for the right time.  
I think part of the reason I haven’t proposed yet is because I haven’t been honest with her about my past. I mean, It shouldn’t be that big a deal… so I used to be famous? Half the world is famous at one point or another, just because I technically still owned half a record label that shouldn’t make me look any different to her, should it?  
I decide that it’s time to tell her and my fingers start wringing themselves together as I look for an opening into the conversation but chicken out when one presents itself and instead, I clear my throat and announce that it was time for dinner and I resolve to tell Skylar the truth after dinner… or dessert.. yeah. After dessert, that way I’ll still get to enjoy the baked chocolate cheesecake.  
I should have probably told her beforehand because try as I might, I couldn’t enjoy the food I was putting into my mouth and I was just feeling more and more anxious about her possible reaction, the worst that I could imagine was that she would laugh in my face and leave, never to be seen again. But I have to stop putting the cart before the horse and wait and see. Heck, she might, for all I know, be excited about the fact she’s dating a washed up pop star.  
Dinner is finally over and the dishwasher is stacked and the coffee is on brewing. It’s now or never.  
“Sky? There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while now… it’s um… something about myself that I’ve never been too sure about how to tell you…” My voice is stammering and I curse myself for my ability to ramble at the most inopportune times. Sky was watching me with a slight crease in her forehead and a worried look to her eyes and I offer her a smile, “It’s nothing bad, like… I don’t have a communicable disease or anything…” I laugh nervously. “It’s just.. when I said I worked odd jobs back home, it wasn’t entirely true… Tay and I –“ I pause and look at my brother who was nodding encouragingly, “He and I were in a band, we WERE the band and um… we were pretty successful for a few years… Isaac is actually my middle name, my given name is Clarke, I had long blonde hair and I never used to wear my glasses…” I feel my stomach flipping a little as I watch Skylar as she processes this information and I bite my bottom lip as I see her get a spark of recognition, “Wait.. are you telling me… you guys are the guys from Hanson?” she shakes her head in slight disbelief but the good thing is that she wasn’t running away screaming.  
I nod and let out the breath I’d been holding, “Yeah that’s us.. Tay and Ike Hanson at your service..” Skylar looks between Tay and I a few times her mouth opening and closing then her gaze settles on me, “Wow.. you look so different now… I never would have guessed it… I should feel like all my pre-pubescent dreams have come true…” she laughs, “Never in a million years did I think I was dating someone famous!”  
I can’t help but think ‘so far so good’ as Skylar wraps her arms around me and hugs me tightly, “I want you to know, that no matter who you are, or who you used to be, I love you. Each and every side to you. I love them all.” I feel my heart ache with happiness as my fears are squashed and I once more think about how blessed I am to have such an amazing woman in my life and I feel even better now that I could be completely honest with her about everything.  
“So tell me Clarke, and you too Tay … what happened to all those dance moves you used to be able to pull off?” Skylar asks with a cheeky grin and I laugh and shake my head, “Oh no, I don’t know about Tay but I hung up my dancing shoes a LONG time ago. Maybe I’ll bring them out for a special occasion like Tay s wedding… or ours… but until then, they’re staying firmly locked away.”   
I laugh at the look on my brothers face and he shakes his head, “You’d better believe you’ll be dancing at my wedding..” he smirks but I can’t help but notice that the grin doesn’t reach his eyes. Is my little brother having doubts maybe? I know he’s been with Jaime for a couple of years now, but maybe he’s not really ready to settle down. I make a mental note to talk to him about it later but right now I think it’s going to be a case of twenty questions about our childhood from a very curious Skylar and for once, I’m actually happy to be talking about my past and for the next few hours, Tay and I immerse Skylar in old stories and anecdotes from our time on the worlds stage.


	9. Taylor

I was still reeling from the knowledge that I’d slept with my brothers girlfriend all through dinner and I could tell something was on Isaac’s mind as he pushed his food around his plate and didn’t seem to be completely there and I just prayed to god that he wasn’t putting two and two together and realising what I had done last night and who I’d done it with. But then again, HOW could he know? He doesn’t know what time I got home, he doesn’t know I hooked up, he doesn’t know.  
He doesn’t know.  
Those three words were such a relief that I had to stop myself from letting out a giddy laugh because that would have been slightly difficult to explain away. Instead I gave myself a mental high five that was probably a really immature thing to do, but then again, I haven’t always been known for my maturity!  
Dinner went well for the most part and we were clearing up the kitchen when Isaac told Skylar that he had something to tell her and he went on to tell her the truth about our past, about the band and everything and I couldn’t help but be proud of my big brother for the way he laid everything out there on the table for Sky to see and it was even more of a relief when Sky took things well.   
She asked though, what happened to our dance moves and Isaac made a crack about his shoes being hung up and that they might come out for my wedding. When he said that, my blood turned to ice and my stomach churned unpleasantly, oh yeah, my wedding. My mental high fiving turned into a mental slap as I think about my gorgeous fiancée back home waiting for me and again I feel ill at the thought of what had happened last night. Isaac was looking at me questioningly so I fobbed off some cheap line about how he’ll definitely be dancing at my wedding and before I can excuse myself to leave them to some private time, We’re roped into giving Skylar details and stories about our past and about life as a pop star.  
This was good however as it didn’t leave me with much room for thinking about the predicament I was in. Actually you know what? I’m NOT in a predicament, Isaac will never know about Skylar and I and he’ll go on to marry her and have lots of pretty little babies while I’ll go back home, marry Jaime and have a family of my own with MY wife. I doubt that Skylar and I will see each other that often as I have a strong feeling that they are going to make their life here in Australia while I’ll head back to the states. I’m too much of a momma’s boy to stray too far from home whereas Isaac has always had the wandering gene. He’s almost as bad as a gypsy in his love of traveling.  
But yeah. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll put the whole thing behind me and make the most of the fact that I was here visiting my brother for the first time in way too long and now that we were together, I wasn’t going to let anything stand in the way of us having a good time. I was going to take the chance that I’d been given and embrace the fact that neither Skylar nor myself wanted to hurt Isaac, so it was onward and upward from here.  
The time I spent with Isaac was fun. Skylar was around a lot but she also gave us a respectful distance so we could do ‘brother stuff’ and before long, it was time to board a flight home and it was that morning that I found myself face to face with Skylar.  
“Ike isn’t here,” I tell her as she stands on the front stoop, slightly nervous in her demeanour and she shakes her head, “I’m actually here to see you.” She says in a quiet voice that I’ve come to learn meant she was concerned about something and I bite my bottom lip and usher her in, “What’s up Sky?” I ask as the front door closes behind us and she turns to face me, unshed tears in her eyes and she reaches into her pocket and pulls out something wrapped in a Kleenex and my brows knit in confusion as she unwraps the item to reveal something that I think every man dreads at one point in time or another.   
A positive pregnancy test.  
“Oh my god… are you… is that… are you pregnant?” I squeak out and Skylar nods and her tears start falling, “Wow. Does Isaac know?” I ask before my stomach squeezes and my throat constricts at the horrible, horrible notion that passes through my sub conscious.   
“Oh god Sky… is it mine?” I ask and her ashen face shows that I’m not too far off the mark, “I don’t know Tay . I really don’t… Ike and I are usually so careful and well… I don’t remember being careful with, with you…” And she’s right. We didn’t use protection. Oh good god. What I thought was going to be just a passing blip on my radar, now looms above me like an ocean liner. What have I done? Gotten my brothers girlfriend pregnant, that’s what.  
Skylar shoves the test back into her pocket and shakes her head, “I don’t know though Tay . It could be Isaac’s, We have had a few slip ups, but I don’t know.. we won’t know until the – the baby gets here…” I close my eyes for a long moment and count to ten under my breath then look at the dark haired woman in front of me, “No matter what happens. The baby is his. He’s never to know about us, remember? Never.”  
And I mean it too. I don’t want to hurt my brother and I know that this knowledge would a) destroy our friendship and closeness. And b) destroy him.  
I impulsively reach over and give Skylar a quick hug as we hear Isaacs car pulling up and whisper in her ear that it was going to be alright then before Ikecan get inside, she disappears into the bathroom to wash her face and freshen up before he realises something was up and I go back to finishing my packing.  
The sooner I left this country the better.


	10. Skylar

Ugh. I wake up feeling less than ordinary and I make it to the bathroom with moments to spare before my stomach heaves and empties the contents into the toilet. Great. I’ve either picked up a bug or something I ate last night, but I don’t think cheese toasties would give me food poisoning.. would they? Just what I needed on top of my period that was due. Ugh. I crawl back into bed and curl up with my pillow and pick up my phone to call into work to let them know I wasn’t coming in when I see the date on the front screen of my phone and my brows knit together with worry and as I unlock the phone and scroll to the app that charts my periods, I can’t help but think the worse as I see the words on the screen PERIOD IS 5 DAYS LATE. Oh shit. I can’t be though… Clarke and I are always so careful – well, most of the time we are. I sit there staring at the phone for a long moment before another face swims into my thoughts. Tay .  
I’m pretty sure that the night I spent with him four weeks ago was a night that was spent without protection. As we were tumbling in the sheets we didn’t even think twice about it, at least, I know I didn’t…  
I try and rack my brain with the last time Isaac and I had unprotected sex and I can’t remember if it was before or after my torrid affair with Tay . Oh god. I thought I was going to be able to get away with cheating on Spence, but now it looks more and more likely that I’m going to have to tell him, well, no, I won’t have to tell him. He’ll figure it out when he puts the dates together and realises that it was impossible for him to be the father. Unless, no. I couldn’t do that. Could I? Could I lie? And tell him that the night we were drunk a few days before his brother arrived, we must have forgotten the condom, heck, for all I know, we might have forgotten it. Only I know we didn’t.  
ARGH. What have I done?   
I’ve royally screwed my life. THAT is what I’ve done. I’m a terrible person and I don’t deserve Clarke and it looks like I won’t have him anymore if my fears are found out to be true. So maybe that’s what I should do first. See if I AM pregnant and if I am then well, we’ll go from there and I’ll work out what to say, what to do, and more importantly – who to tell.  
I’ll have to tell Tay . He deserves to know. But then again, if I don’t tell him, he’ll be none the wiser – unless of course he puts the dates together. I mean, there are sites on the internet where you can put in your due date and it tells you when conception was and that’s a date he’ll remember as it was the day he’d arrived. Plus he’s not dumb.   
I wish I could just rewind the last four weeks and never stop to pick up the sodden stranger on the side of the road because then I wouldn’t be facing the prospect of having to bring up a child on my own, or to bring up a child with a father who wasn’t really the father.  
I mean, I know Isaac will be thrilled, he loves kids and has spoken often about having a family. Sure, he wanted to wait until we were married, but this way we’re just speeding the process up, right? Right. But what if Tay decided that he wanted to raise the child as his own? Then what? Where would it leave me and Isaac and for that matter, where would it leave Tay s fiancée, Jaime? I know she would be as crushed as Isaac will be.  
Why does life have to be so difficult? Actually, it’s not life that’s difficult, it’s the decisions and choices we make along the way that turn into difficulties so I shouldn’t really be complaining about life because it’s my own fault. It’s not the universes way of spiting me for something I may or may not have done. I don’t think I’m being punished for not recycling every bottle and can or for stepping on spiders and ants. The universe isn’t like that. But then again, there is such a thing as Karma. Maybe this is my karma coming back to bite me in the arse because I DID cheat on Isaac. Great.   
Thank you Karma. You really ARE a bitch.  
I ventured out of the house a little while later and picked up a couple of tests and coming home I sat with them on the counter in front of me for about half an hour just trying to psych myself up for what the result MAY be and then when I opened the box I spent another ten minutes reading and re-reading the instructions until I couldn’t put it off any longer and carefully peed on two sticks, being sure not to get any on myself in the process then placed them both face down on a the counter and finished up, my stomach churning with nerves the whole time.   
I closed the lid of the toilet and sat on it while waiting for the time to pass and nervously shredded a square of toilet paper with my trembling fingers and I glanced down at my watch and realise that it was well past the time that the test would be ready and so letting out a slow breath I stand and pick up the first of the two tests and with my eyes closed I turn it over and slowly peek through a tiny slit in my eyes and when I see the plus sign in the little window I feel my world come crashing around my shoulders.   
It was positive.  
I’m pregnant.  
Maybe though it was a false reading and the other one will be negative so I quickly grab for it and turn it face up and lets out a soft noise as I see the positive sign was even darker on this one and almost immediately, tears come flooding from my eyes and I clutch the two tests – one in each hand – and sink to the floor of the bathroom and sob until I have no more tears to cry.   
I slowly climb up off the floor and reach for a Kleenex and wrap one of the tests in it and shove it deep into my pocket, not wanting to think about it for a moment while I tried to figure out my next move and looking at my watch, I realise that I had only a limited time left where I could talk to Tay face to face as he was headed to the airport tonight. Thankfully, I knew Isaac had a job to do this morning so if I hurry I’ll be able to get to his place before he gets home.  
So that’s where I find myself now, standing on my boyfriends doorstep waiting for his brother to open the door and when he does he looks at me in slight confusion as he tells me that Isaac wasn’t home. I tell him that I was there to see him and we step inside and to cut a long story short, I showed him the test and he pretty much freaked out. But I don’t know if that was more to the fact that I was bawling my eyes out once more. He however seems to get a complete sense of calm come over him and he says in a serious, no nonsense voice “The baby is his. No matter what it’s his..”  
I didn’t know if I was happy or hurt over his declaration. Was I that horrible that he didn’t even want to contemplate the fact that he made a baby with me? Or was he truly just looking out for his brother. I’d like to think that it was the latter so I’ll just leave it at that.  
The next thing I know, Tay has his arms around me in a tight hug and he whispers into my ear that it was all going to be okay and we part quickly as the distinctive sound of Isaacs car pulls into the driveway and I manage to give Tay a small smile before I escape to the bathroom to wash my face and put on a bit of makeup so that Isaac doesn’t realise immediately that something was wrong.  
I stare at my reflection in the mirror as I think about the person that I’ve become. A lying. Cheating. Evil woman. I don’t deserve this baby but there is no way that I could possibly NOT have it. That’s just not me and I couldn’t deprive Isaac the chance to be a father, because there IS a possibility that it’s his. Mind you, it’s a slim one, but there’s still a possibility and I’m going to cling to that fact for as long as I possibly can.


	11. Isaac

I came home from my appointment and saw sky's car in the driveway. I instantly feel the familiar butterflies in my belly when I think of her and I love that she knew when I was finished and going to be home. At least I hoped that was why she was here! But I wasn't going to question why she was here and just make the most of the fact she was so I let myself into the house and frown a little when I see an empty living room. "Sky? Tay ? You guys here?" I call as I dump my stuff and head into the kitchen to unload the few groceries I'd picked up on the way home and a smile fills my face as I see Sky standing in the doorway. "hey beautiful girl. What a great surprise you are! I wasn't sure if I'd see you today." I smile as I cross the room to her side and press a kiss to her forehead.   
Sky wraps her arms around my waist and cuddles into my side, "I thought I'd pop in to say goodbye to Tay and get some smooches off my favourite guy.." I grin and brush some hair from her eyes, "I sure hope that you mean me and not Tay!" I joke but my grin lessens as I see the light go out of her eyes, "I was joking. I know you mean me and honey? My lips are yours for the kissing.." I wink as I playfully pucker my lips for a kiss.   
She smiles back at me and I'm rewarded with a soft kiss only for her to pull away when Tay walks into the kitchen. "hey bro. Are you all packed?" I ask as he heads to the fridge and grabs a can of soda which he opens and drains half of before answering me with a nod, "yeah. All packed and ready to go. Are you sure you're okay with driving me to the airport?" "of course. It's not like I'd make you take a taxi.. Besides I need to make sure you leave.." I joke and Tay gives me a half-hearted laugh. "oh don't worry Ike. I'm definitely headed home. I miss Jaime and seeing you two makes me realise just how much."  
It seriously spins me out to think that my playboy brother is actually going to settle down and get married. I honestly never thought I'd see the day. But here it is. Well it will be in a few months at least I just hope that he's gotten all his need to sew his wild oats as they say, out if his system because Jaime was a genuinely sweet girl who didn't deserve the crap that came along with a playboy husband.   
Sky looks up at me and smiles, "what can we say Tay, when you're in love as much as Ike and I are then people are bound to be jealous." she smiles as she leans up on her toes and gives me a sweet kiss which I happily return.   
In a pleasantly surprising turn, Sky quickly deepens the kiss and before I know it we are ensconced in a passionate kiss that would make my hair curl if I'd let it grow long enough!  
We continue to kiss for what feels like an eternity and it's only when I hear Tay clear his throat that I remember we weren't alone.   
"oh. Sorry about that." I grin very unapologetically at my brother as I extricate my hands from under Sky's shirt as she flushes good naturally and lowers her eyes demurely.   
"hey don't stress. I'll be out of your hair before long and you can go back to being all loved up." Tay winks at us.  
After a last coffee from the steaming pot on the counter, The three of us are headed to the airport. I was extremely surprised that Sky decided to come along for the ride, I thought we might be able to grab an early dinner on the way home then who knows what we might get up to tonight, seeing that I knew she had the night off work. On the drive, I realise that I’m going to miss my brother and that the past couple of weeks have been great, catching up with him and having him get to know Sky and for all the differences between Taylor and myself, we really do care about one another and that in our own way, we love each other deeply. I mean, you don’t go through what we did so early in life with our career and not either completely despise each other or be extremely close. Luckily for us, it was definitely the latter. I mean, we’re not bosom buddies who sit there and braid each other’s hair, but we’re closer than the average brothers.. at least, I like to think so!  
+  
“Well.. I guess this is it…” Tay says as he checks that his passport and boarding pass are in his leather messenger bag. “Yeah, I guess it is…” My voice comes out slightly wistful and for a moment, I’m overcome with a rush of homesickness and it’s only Skylar beside me with her hand in my back pocket that keeps me from going to the ticket counter and purchasing a flight back to the States. “Make sure you come visit soon…” Tay smiles at me and I step over and give my brother a tight a hug, “I’ll be there for the wedding, come hell or high water…” I tell him and am rewarded with a large smile, “That makes me happy, I mean, what’s a wedding without a best man?”  
I do a slight double take, “Tay? Did you just ask me in your own way to be your best man?” he laughs and nods, “Of course, I couldn’t have anyone else there beside me on my big day.. Even though we don’t see each other every day, you’re still my best friend and I love you, big bro…”  
I step back over to Taylor and we hug tightly again, “It would be my honour to be your best man, Maybe one day you’ll be able to repay the favour for me… that is if Pixie over there will make an honest man out of me…” I grin over at Skylar and she gives me a slightly nervous smile and if I’m not mistaken, her eyes are misted over and come to think of it, she looks a little pale. Maybe dinner out won’t be on the agenda after all, especially not if she’s feeling unwell.  
“Okay, well I’d better get through to the gate..” Tay bites his lip and gives us a small smile, “See you guys soon, yeah?” he says as he picks up his carryon bag and slings his laptop bag over his shoulder, “Take care Isaac…. Look after my brother won’t you, Sky?” Sky nods and steps forward and gives Taylor a brief hug, “Safe travels..” she says softly then is back at my side, her hand back in my pocket in a slightly surprising show of public affection.  
We wave our goodbyes as Tay walks through the large doors and disappears from view and I turn to look at Skylar, “Baby? Are you okay?” I ask softly as I lift a hand and brush her cheek with my fingertips and I’m shocked when fat tears appear and roll down her cheek, “I.. I’m okay…” she says softly, her voice cracking a little, “I… I just have something to tell you but I don’t want to do it here…”  
My brow knits in confusion and I tilt my head to the side, “Okay.. now you’re worrying me Sky.. this sounds serious… are you alright? Just tell me that…” I ask softly and she nods as she wipes away the tears from her pale cheeks, “Yeah. I’m alright..” she assures me and leans up to kiss me softly. “Let’s get out of here, yeah?” she tugs on my hand and we start walking, falling into a slightly awkward silence that lasts the entire car trip home.


	12. Taylor

Home sweet home. I don’t think I’d ever been as happy to see the familiar skyline of my home town as I was when I looked out the window as the plane started its descent into Tulsa. It may not be the biggest or the best city in the United States, but it was home and it always will be. No matter where I hang my hat or park my car, my heart will always belong in Tulsa.  
The flight had been fairly uneventful once the child in the seat behind me went to sleep and stopped kicking the back of my seat and now all that was left was to collect my baggage then I’d be able to get home, shower and have a decent cup of coffee because I don’t know what kind of swill they were serving on the plane, but it definitely wasn’t my Columbian roast!  
I didn’t have to wait long for my bags to come off the belt and I was soon headed out to the pickup area where I saw a sight for sore eyes, Jaime.  
She was standing beside her car and her eyes shone and her face was lit up in a smile as she saw me and I quickened my step to reach her faster and gathered her into my arms, burying my face into her warm neck, breathing in her rich and familiar scent deeply.  
“Oh my god, I’ve missed you Jai..” I murmur before our lips meet in a slow and deliberate kiss, one that held several weeks’ worth of longing in it. “I missed you too Tay. I’ve been going crazy without you..” Jamie leans up on her toes and kisses me again sweetly, “I can’t wait to hear all about your trip, did you get to meet the infamous Skylar?” she asks and my stomach knots unpleasantly, “Uh. Oh, yeah… I met her. She’s a really nice girl. Ike did well for himself..” I tell Jaime as I start to walk to the rear of the car to load my bags and to try and avoid talking about Sky, because to be quite honest, the less time I thought about her the better it’ll be for all parties involved.  
I still couldn’t believe that she was pregnant… and that there was a chance that I was the father… shit.. I’ve definitely made a right mess of things. But I think deep down that the baby is Isaacs I mean, the possibilities were more likely that THEY had conceived with the amount of bom chickity they have. I mean, they put rabbits to shame!  
But I push all thoughts of my brother and his girlfriend from my mind and focus on the fact that I have my beautiful fiancée back in my arms and she fills me in on everything I’ve missed while I’d been gone, I didn’t really care about the problems with the flowers for centre pieces or the colour of the linens, I just wanted to hear Jaime’s voice. It was soothing and a tranquil thing after the fast paced airport we’d just left.  
A little while later when we were at home and I was unpacking my things, talk turned back to Isaac and Skylar, as I was sure it would and I feel my stomach twist a little as Jaime asks if Skylar was going to be able to make it over for our wedding also as she’d love to meet her. I shrug a little non committedly, “Not sure at this stage, I mean.. she might not be able to travel…” as soon as the words are out of my mouth I wish I could suck them back in because Jaime turns to me, her eyes wide and her mouth forming an ‘O’, “Oh my god, Tay? Are they pregnant?!” she asks bouncing a little on her spot on the bed.   
Shit. Crap. Damn. Me and my mouth.  
“Uh… yeah, but I don’t know if he knows yet… she let slip just before I left… so don’t like, go telling mom or calling him or anything.” Jaime shakes her head, “No no, I won’t say anything, I promise… just.. eee.. a BABY! That’s so exciting!!” she gushes and I feel my stomach clench, “Yeah.. it’s pretty crazy…” and it was. It was extremely crazy. The fact that there’s a chance that the baby is mine. Not that I’d tell Jai that of course. I mean, I still want to marry her. To start a family with HER. Not someone I had one night of unbridled passion with and definitely not the woman my brother was in love with and planning on marrying.  
I realise Jaime is staring at me in expectation and I realise she’s asked me a question, “Sorry, what?” I say confused and she shakes her head and laughs, “You’re so ditzy sometimes, baby. But you’re cute so you get away with it..” she winks, “I just asked if you think we should push the wedding back a month or two so that Isaac and Skylar can both come? I’d love to see the baby and it’s a great excuse for them to come out!” I think for a moment then nod, “Yeah. I think we could do that.” I agree while ignoring the ache in my stomach, because I’m positive that the baby is Isaacs. I lean over the suitcase and press a kiss to Jaime’s lips and smile, “How about you see if we can change the dates of things and then we’ll square it away.” The smile that I’m rewarded with from Jaime is enough to melt the coldest of hearts and I know I’ve made the right decision. Anything that makes my girl this happy has got to be good, right?  
++  
The months following are a whirlwind of wedding planning. We were able to push the date by two months and Isaac, who had fully embraced the idea of fatherhood was extremely touched that we changed plans so that they could still attend the wedding. I’d pushed all thoughts of that fateful night with Skylar out of my mind and I was being the ever faithful and attentive husband to be. I just hope that things weren’t going to come back and bite me in the butt.  
Famous last words, right? Yep. Exactly.  
++  
Ringing. Loud ringing. It’s what I’m woken by early one Saturday morning and I blindly reach for the telephone as I realise that’s what was making the noise and I drag it to my ear, “What? It better be important.” I croak and rub my eyes with my free hand.   
“Um… I shouldn’t have called… sorry…” A distinctive voice comes through the handset and I recognise the accent straight away, “Huh? Skylar? Is that you?” I ask as the fog of sleep lifts almost instantly.   
“Yeah… it’s me… I shouldn’t have called though.. I’m sorry…” she stammers and before I know it, I’m listening to the dial tone in my ear.   
I have a bad feeling about this. I hadn’t talked to Skylar in months, always finding an excuse not to talk to her when Isaac would call or I’d call him so for her to call me sent up a giant red flag. And I have a strong feeling that I won’t be getting back to sleep anytime soon so I dress quickly and lace my sneakers and head out for an early morning run to try and clear the cobwebs.


	13. Skylar

On the way home from the airport after dropping Tay off, Isaac and I were both quiet, lost in our own thoughts. I was trying to think of how to tell Isaac I was pregnant and I wasn’t sure what he was thinking about. Probably wondering what the news I had to tell him was. I know I had him worried but I knew I had to tell him sooner rather than later. Sooner arrived when we were at home, settled with a coffee for him and a peppermint tea for myself.   
Isaac was looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension and I wrap my hands around my mug as I still search for the words to tell my boyfriend that we were expecting. Because as far as I was concerned, WE were. Not me and anyone else, but Isaac and myself.  
I know I have to say something soon so I softly clear my throat and just as I start to open my mouth, he bursts in, “If you’re breaking up with me, just… do it quick… I can’t bare the thought of losing you and if that’s what is happening, I need it over as fast as possible…”  
Oh god. I honestly didn’t think he’d have THAT thought in mind. I don’t want to break up with Isaac. I love him. Completely and utterly so. And I tell him that as I slip off the armchair to sit beside him on the couch. “I’m not breaking up with you, Honey. I love you. You’re my world.” I assure him. “I’m here with you for the long run. You’re all I’ve ever dreamt about.” I speak softly and trail my fingers over the inside of his wrist.  
“Then what is so huge that you haven’t been yourself, I know it’s not something small… I’ve never seen you this way…” He bites his bottom lip as his eyes fill with worry and a lingering trace of fear.  
This is it. I can’t dilly dally any longer. I have to tell him.  
“Clarke… I… I’m pregnant…” the words just tumble out and I suck my bottom lip into my mouth as I realise I can’t take the words back once they’re out there and I close my eyes and lower my head as hot tears appear behind my eyelids and they feel hotter as the silence stretches around us and I slowly lift my head and look at Isaac through my lashes, “I.. please say something…” I whisper and the look on Isaac’s face eases all my worries.   
“Really? You’re serious? We’re having a baby?” Isaac asks, his eyes shining brightly with happiness. “I can’t believe it. A baby!” he flings his arms around me and crushes me in a tight hug and presses kisses to my face and neck, well, he seems happy at least.  
“Yeah, we’re having a baby.” I confirm and his hands find their way to my stomach which was still churning with nerves.   
“Sky, this is by far the best thing you could have told me today. I was expecting the worse but got the best… I am honestly the happiest man right now!” he exclaims and bathes me with kisses again before throwing his head back and laughing, “Oh my god! I’m gonna be a daddy!”  
++  
The months pass and as they do, my stomach grows and expands to fit the growing child inside of me. Isaac is a wonderful partner and dotes on me completely, even though he was perturbed as to why I wouldn’t move in completely to his house. I didn’t really know why I wouldn’t, there was something that was holding me back, I was spending most of my time at the house but then I was extremely hesitant to relinquish my apartment. Maybe I was just waiting to see how things turned out. I think I just wanted to have the safety net of something there in case things went bust with Isaac. Not that I was planning on that happening. But you just never know.  
“Hey Sky, I got the cutest outfit for the baby today…” Isaac announces as he walks into the living room where I was laying on the couch with my swollen feet elevated to ease the pressure in them. I smile up at Isaac and raise myself a little so I could get a look at the cute little bunny suit that he’d brought complete with fuzzy cotton tail and floppy ears attached to the hat. “Okay, now that’s cute. But babes, you really have to slow down on the shopping..” I laugh softly as Isaac’s face falls a little, “I can’t help it, I’m just so excited to meet our little one..” he says as his face brightens once more.   
He moves over and rubs my stomach, kneeling on the floor beside me. “Hey little one. Daddy can’t wait to meet you…” he murmurs to my belly as he presses a kiss and not for the first time in the pregnancy, I feel an immense amount of guilt come over me at what I did to Isaac because he’s been nothing but wonderful to me. He loves me and I love him. That’s all that should matter but I still can’t help but feel like there was a massive black cloud hanging over my head and strangely enough, that cloud was in the shape of my boyfriends brother.  
The days were getting shorter and the nights were getting colder and before I knew it, my due date was around the corner and it was the middle of the night when the labour started. It started and felt like it was never going to end. I had never felt such pain before and I wanted to give up several times, but I knew I had to do it to bring the little one into the world.  
Isaac was there the entire time throughout the 19 hours it took to bring the little wiggling, crying baby boy into the world and I knew instantly that I was never going to be alone again. Even if things didn’t work out between Isaac and myself, then I would always have my son. My beautiful little boy.   
I could tell Isaac was also smitten and he doted on Benjamin from the minute he laid eyes on him and for the entire duration of our stay in hospital, he only left our side long enough to shower and go to the toilet. The nurses brought him food and he was the most ideal father I could have hoped for. But there was something I wanted to do. Something I needed to do. But I couldn’t do it with him in the room. So I asked him to head downstairs to the gift shop to get me some magazines and I reached for my phone, dialling a number I never thought I would call again.  
I listened to it ring in my ear and just as I started to chicken out a sleepy voice answered in my ear.   
Oh shit. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t talk to him. I stammer out something, not that I could tell you what I said and start to hang up but he says my name and as soon as I hear him say my name, floods of emotion come pouring back and I’m transported back to the hotel room and that fateful night. I stammer once again and quickly hang the phone up as I feel a flood of tears pooling in my eyes, I was stupid to have thought that I could have talked to him. I don’t know how I was going to go to the wedding next month, but I guess I’ll just have to try and avoid him as much as possible.  
As hard as that will be.


	14. Isaac

I couldn’t believe it. I was going to be a father. I was so thrilled when Skylar told me the news as I’d been so sure that she was going to break up with me as things had been different since Tay had arrived to visit. I couldn’t tell you how pleased I was to have this news instead of the one I’d feared and I went into full baby readying mode. I had lived my life waiting to be a father and now that I had the chance, I wasn’t going to let anything stand in my way.   
I wanted Skylar to move in with me but she resisted and I couldn’t understand exactly why she refused to give up her apartment, to be honest, it hurt a little. I wanted to be there for every part of the baby’s life and I wanted to be the one who went to the little one in the middle of the night. I guess it was a small thing to know that Sky spent most of her time with me and only went back to her apartment on occasion to get more clothes and different items.  
The pregnancy was a truly amazing thing and I loved the fact that I was there for the whole thing. I’d always been worried that when I’d be an expectant father I wouldn’t be able to be as hands on as I was with Sky. I think I actually bugged her a little, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted to be a part of everything.  
It was the middle of the night at the start of winter when Sky woke me up with the beginning of labour and I surprised myself with how calm I managed to stay.  
The baby was stubborn and took his time to arrive and after 19 long hours I was cutting the cord and welcoming the little miracle into the world.  
Benjamin Riley Hanson entered the world with a full head of blonde hair and the largest lungs I think I’ve ever witnessed in a newborn. I was instantly in love with the little boy and I couldn’t believe that I was partly responsible for the creation of this new little life.  
“Hey Benjamin. I’m your daddy…” I whispered to the little boy as I press a soft kiss to his head as he sucks on his hand and I know that I would do anything to protect him.   
A little while later, I came back in from getting some magazines for Skylar and I find her in tears and I rush over to the bed, “Honey? What’s wrong?” I ask her, smoothing my fingers over her cheek, “Is it pain? Want me to get the nurse?” she shakes her head and takes a deep breath before smiling a shaky smile, “No no, I’m okay.. I think I’m just overwhelmed..” I move to sit beside her on the bed and press a kiss to her temple, “It’s okay. It’s to be expected. I mean, there’s a lot of change happening..” I tell her soothingly and we sit together for a few moments before a nurse comes in to inform Skylar she was going to be discharged the next day.  
Once we got home, we settled into a routine, I got up to Ben most nights and gave him his bottle of expressed milk and I sang him songs and fell even more in love with him every day.  
One afternoon as I was watching him sleep, I was flipping through some photo albums to get inspiration for my best man’s speech that I was to give at Taylors wedding in a weeks’ time and I came across a photo that made my eyebrows raise a little, the picture was of Tay as a baby and I looked between the photo and my sleeping son for a long moment and I could barely believe the similarities between them. It was almost uncanny. The button nose, the blue eyes, blonde hair and even the dimple in the left cheek. It was almost as if Tay was the father and not me. I guess though that it’s just the family genetics coming out to play and I push it aside and don’t think about it again.  
Maybe that was a mistake.  
++  
My parents met us at the airport and I was so proud showing off Skylar and Benjamin to them. He was their first grandchild and they were just as smitten as I was, if that was at all possible. They welcomed Skylar with open arms and I think they were just relieved to see that she wasn’t a figment of my imagination after all.  
We got to the family homestead and settled into my old bedroom and I can’t help but laugh at the posters that were lining the walls. “I swear, I was such a nerd..” I say with a shake of my head and Skylar, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, raises an eyebrow “Oh honey no. You’re STILL a nerd..” And I had to give it to her, she was right. I loved me some star wars!  
After a relaxing afternoon we gathered in the kitchen for dinner and Tay and Jaime arrived to share the meal with us and I gather my brother into a tight hug, glad to be reunited once again.   
Sky was in the other room feeding Ben when they arrived and when she came into the room, her face paled a little and her eyes widened. Jaime immediately rushes over and starts to coo over Ben and peppers Sky with questions and I smile proudly as my son is fussed over.  
“Tay? Want to come meet your nephew?” I ask as I notice Taylor watching with a slightly green tint to his face. “It’s okay. He’s not a spewy baby, it’s not like he’s going to vomit on you..” I tease, knowing my brothers dislike for all things vomit.  
“Of course I want to meet him…” Tay says as he steps over and peeks into the blankets holding Ben, that Jaime was now holding, and he smiles a strange smile that I can’t quite place and I front a little as he doesn’t say anything for a long moment then he turns to me and his smile grows a little but still doesn’t reach his eyes, “He’s a cutie.. congrats you guys…” then he glances around the room, before reaching into his pocket, “I’ll be right back. I just need a smoke…” he announces and slips from the room. I frown and start to follow him but a wail from Ben distracts me and I turn my attention to the little boy, temporarily forgetting about Tay s strange behaviour.


	15. Taylor

There was no doubt in my mind. That baby was mine. As soon as I saw him I knew. He was the exact replica of myself as a baby. I know they say that all baby’s look alike, but nope. Not this one. This one was my mini me.  
I couldn’t bare to look at Skylar as she stood off to the side as Jaime fussed over Benjamin and I struggled to hold myself together. Isaac was SO happy being a dad and he wasn’t even the biological father.   
I mean, don’t get me wrong. I know it takes more than being a sperm donor to be a father and that fatherhood doesn’t happen instantly. You have to earn your stripes as a father. You have to build the love for the child. You have to be there for the little one through thick and thin. But then again, there’s something that can’t be denied in the fatherhood race. DNA. And I was positive that that little boy had my genetics running through his tiny little body.  
I paced around the driveway furiously smoking a cigarette as I try to work out what I was going to do when all of a sudden there’s another body beside me and I look up and start slightly as I see Skylar standing there and as soon as I look into her eyes, I know what she’s going to say.  
“He’s mine isn’t he?” my voice is barely above a whisper and I feel the onset of a panic attack arriving. Skylar lowers her head and nods, “Yes.. I had a test done.. I needed to be sure and Isaac isn’t the father… and well, you’re the only other person I’ve been with for 3 years..” her voice is as hushed as mine is and I can tell she’s scared. 

“Are those tests accurate? Maybe it was wrong?” I offer and she shakes her head, “It’s got a 98% accuracy rate. There’s no denying it. You’re Ben’s father..”  
Well shit damn. Happy father’s day to me.  
“What are we going to do?” I ask Skylar as we stare at each other in the fading sunlight, “Do you want me to do anything? I mean… we agreed that we weren’t ever going to mention it… that we were going to let Isaac be the father….” I can feel a slight panic starting inside and my speech quickens. “I can’t hurt Jaime. I can’t…” I run my fingers through my hair and shake my head, “This is messed up, Sky. Really messed up..”   
“Hey you two… it’s getting dark, come inside, we’re getting ready to serve dinner..” Jaime calls from the porch and brings an end to the discussion between Skylar and myself but I know that it would only be the end for the time being. I still needed to get things sorted in my head.  
++  
The day of the wedding was approaching quickly and I still hadn’t gotten things sorted about the baby. About my son. Shit. I have a son. But I keep telling myself that just because I contributed some DNA, That doesn’t make him mine. Is that a bastardy thing to say and think? I don’t think it is… I mean, guys sell their stuff to sperm banks all the time, isn’t it the same?   
It’s things like this that float around in my head as I drive downtown to pick up the tuxedos for myself and Isaac. He was originally going to do it but he had managed to get an appointment with his old doctor for a physical. My brother is weird. He actually LIKES going to the doctor. And I can’t blame him really – our long time family physician gives the best lollipops! And I guess he had something on his mind that was bugging him or something, as he had been distracted the last few days and had been distant. I put it down to nerves on his behalf, he’d let it slip that he had brought an engagement ring for Skylar and was waiting for the right time.   
It was news like that that caused my heart to ache and bile to rise into my throat as I think about what I did. Jaime and Isaac didn’t deserve it and now there’s a living breathing reminder of the infidelity I committed and no matter how hard I try to push it from my mind it just keeps coming back to the forefront.  
I run my errands and get back to the house in time to see Isaac pull up in Mom’s SUV and I wave to him but he looks at me as though he doesn’t even see me and I can’t help but think that something went wrong at the doctor. Maybe he’ll tell me tonight when we go out for my bucks party. I mean, who doesn’t like getting wasted and telling secrets? Oh. Wait. Actually. That might not be such a good idea.  
I trail into the house and look for Isaac but can’t see him anywhere. Wow, the man’s a ninja. He has the ability to disappear into thin air. I have a feeling though that he’ll be up in the attic, he always goes there when he needs to brood over something – well, he USED to always go there so I’m assuming that’s where he was. I contemplate going up there to see if he was okay but then I’m distracted by mom and a bunch of napkins that she wanted help with folding and I don’t get another chance to find Isaac before it’s time to leave. Oh well. I’ll find out eventually I guess.


	16. Skylar

Isaac’s family were all lovely. Jaime doted on Benjamin like no one else, well, no, I lie. His grandmother was right up there in the doting department too. The days were flying by in Tulsa and I was doing my best to steer clear of Tay as much as possible. But that was hard seeing as Jaime was always wanting to talk about babies and life in Australia and everything else possible. She was sweet, but I couldn’t help but feel pangs of guilt every time I talked to her, what with knowing what I know about her future husband.   
I was sitting in the recliner with Ben asleep on my chest waiting for Isaac to get home, He’d booked himself into the doctor for a physical – of all things to do on vacation, he goes to the doctor! I guess he has his reasons, I don’t even begin to understand the way his mind works sometimes. He’s definitely unique and I love him for it.  
Speaking of, here he comes now. He walks into the living room and stops and his face turns unreadable as he sees me and I can’t help but feel chills race along my spine. “Hey baby.. how did it all go?” I ask, trying to keep my voice neutral. “It… went pretty much like I expected it to…” he replies and am I imagining things or is there a catch to his voice. I open my mouth to say something else but he mumbles something about having to get ready to go out and quickly leaves the room and as I sit there in a form of stunned silence I realise something. For the first time, Isaac didn’t acknowledge Benjamin. That fact alone causes my heart to constrict and a wave of panic to grip my belly.   
Does he know? How could he know? It’s not possible that he knows… right?   
These thoughts spin through my mind and I close my eyes to try and concentrate on the fact that there’s no way Isaac could have found out, unless of course Tay had told him, and I know that he wouldn’t have done that because he was adamant that Benjamin was going to be Isaac’s son and not his. He wasn’t going to lay any claim on the parentage and I was happy with that. I know it wasn’t good to be living such a lie, but I figure no one was getting hurt this way…  
++  
Isaac was distant for the rest of the day and I barely saw him before the guys left for the bucks party and tomorrow was the wedding so I wasn’t going to be seeing much of him before then either, so I just had to pray that things would be okay and that I was just being paranoid.  
I woke up around 4am and reach for Isaac, I’d heard him come home but my hands come up cold as the other side of the bed is empty. I lean over and switch on the lamp and look around the room and finally see him, asleep in the armchair with his notebook clutched to his chest. I think he was nervous about his speech tomorrow, he’d been working on it on and off for the past few days, having decided that it wasn’t up to par with what he wanted to express. I slide from the bed and lightly shake his arm, “Come to bed, Isaac..” I urge and he makes a snuffling noise in his sleep as his head lolls backwards and he starts snoring. I sigh and shake my head, There’s no way I’d be able to get him into the bed so I grab a blanket and cover him with it, pressing a kiss to his brow before climbing back into bed to get a few more hours sleep before the alarm that is my son goes off for his morning feed.  
The day dawned bright and sunny and when I woke to the sound of Ben’s cries, I look over towards the chair where I’d last seen my boyfriend and I frown a little in confusion as I see the neatly folded blanket surrounded by torn pieces of notebook paper. After settling Ben and changing his diaper, I pick up some of the paper and smooth it out and am surprised to see that it was Isaacs best man speech. This wasn’t like him. He had written draft after draft of the speech but never once had he torn it to pieces.   
I want to go and find him to question him and see if he was alright but the day was already underway and before I get a chance to see him, he’s gone. Headed to the church to get ready there with the rest of the groomsmen. I hope he’s okay, I really do.  
There’s not time to dwell on things though as there’s a flurry of activity in the Hanson home and before long, it’s time to pile into the cars and head to the church that was filling with friends and family. A lot of whom wanted to meet Benjamin and myself so I felt like I was in a cattle yard being shuffled around to various family members, so I was grateful when it was time for the service to start.   
I realise as the bridesmaids enter, I didn’t get a chance to talk to Isaac and I look up at him now, standing beside his brother and I get another wave of unease come over me as I see the solemn look on his face and I wish I was able to drag him away to a quiet corner and find out what was going on with him. But as the wedding march started to play, I resign myself to the fact that it would have to wait until later that night.   
It was a beautiful ceremony and the personalised vows that Taylor and Jaime had written were lovely but I had to close my eyes at the part where it mentioned being faithful to one another and to honour each other and to looking forward to the future together that would include a family.  
I kept looking at Isaac, willing him to look at me, but he kept his eyes fixed firmly on the back of his brothers head until it was time for him to hand the rings over, which he did then went back to looking at Tay s head. Hmm. Something was definitely hinky here.


	17. Isaac

My world was currently upside down and floating haphazardly through space. I wasn’t sure which way was up and which was down. All I knew was that everything I thought was true, no longer was.  
It started the other day when I was looking for a pen. I went into Sky’s travel bag and finding one, I pulled it out only to find it was attached to a piece of paper. I wasn’t meaning to snoop, but I saw my name on the top followed by a lot of words, letters and numbers so of course, curiosity got the better of me and I unfolded it and instantly wished I hadn’t as my high school biology classes came back to me when I realised that I was looking at a test result, a DNA test result.  
Splashed along the top were the words ‘PATERNITY TEST RESULT’ continuing with my name, Sky’s name and Benjamin’s name. As I read I felt sick to my stomach and I couldn’t believe what I was reading and I slowly sank to my knees as I stared at the paper, I couldn’t deny it. It was there in black and white. I wasn’t Ben’s father.  
To say I was devastated would be an understatement. I felt like my soul had been ripped from inside me along with my heart and it was as though a switch went off inside of me and I felt instantly numb. And cold. Very cold.  
Once I was over the initial shock, I picked myself up from the floor and starting up my laptop, I plugged a few key phrases into Google and got some translations into layman’s terms so I could fully comprehend and understand what I was reading.  
From what I was able to piece together, while Ben and I held similar markers, there wasn’t any way that I was the father. It was like someone was saying to me, “Close, but no cigar.” And I couldn’t fully understand how we could have some markers the same but me not be his father.   
I think I needed to talk to an expert on these matters, or at least someone who could decipher the medical jargon in the result. So I made an appointment with my old family physician and told anyone who asked that I was going to get a physical. They seemed to fall for it and well, it’s not that much of a stretch, I did like to stay healthy.  
So after a torturous wait where I tried to act normal around Sky, but I know she suspected something was up, I was sitting across from Dr. Barnes who was reading the results that I’d brought in with me. My worst fears are confirmed when he lowers his glasses and looks at me, “Isaac, I’ve known you most of your life and this pains me to say it, but it’s definitely clear here. You’re not the little one’s biological father..” I feel my world start to blur around the edges and I shake my head a little, “I don’t understand, I don’t know how I couldn’t be.. I mean.. surely there was a mistake…” I try to plead my case but he shakes his head, “I’m sorry, son. I really am. It says here as well that you even have different blood types. The only one in your family with the same blood type is Taylor. I remember from when you donated in the blood drive years ago, his was a rarer one.”  
It was at that moment that everything clicked into place. The secret looks. The whispering. The way Skylar and Tay never seemed to stay in the same room longer than possible… then there was also the fluorescent pink elephant in the room.   
Benjamin was the spitting image of Taylor.  
I’ve been a fool. Everyone must be laughing at me. Especially Sky and Tay . They must think I’m the biggest idiot alive. How could I have been so stupid. How could I not have realised?   
I must have looked like I was in a daze because Dr. Barnes came around to the front of his desk and patted me on the shoulder, “This must be hard.. but I think you need to talk to some people before you go making rash decisions..” he tells me in his fatherly tone and I can tell he knows what’s going through my mind. I nod and thank him and stand to leave. “Thanks Doc…” I say softly and give him a sad smile, “I guess I’ll be seeing you at the wedding..” and quietly leave his office, driving home in a daze.  
I don’t really remember much of the next few hours but I know I went out to the bucks party for Tay . I didn’t drink though, at least, not as much as I wanted to. I was too weighed down by my thoughts and the heavy sadness that was threatening to envelope me and when we returned home at the early hours of the morning, I looked at Skylar, sleeping soundly in the bed I had had growing up. I felt tears well in my eyes but I pushed them back with the heels of my hands and shook my head. I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction. I sat in the arm chair and pulled out my notebook with the speech that I’d written for the wedding and my hands shake as I read the words I’d written and I crumple the page in my hand before tearing it into pieces. I look up quickly as I hear Sky sigh and move in the bed and I immediately close my eyes and pretend to be asleep as she comes over to try and get me into bed, in the end, she covers me with a blanket and returns to sleep.  
I wait for a long moment before I get up, fold the blanket and head outside. I needed a walk to clear my head and I didn’t come back until the sun was up and the house was already awake.  
Fortunately things were hectic and no one noticed the fact I was being a complete space cadet and I was able to keep to myself for the most part. I think anyone who noticed just thought I was nursing a hangover. Which I was, just not an alcoholic one. An emotional one.  
I managed to avoid Skylar all morning and then it was time to leave for the church to get ready and then the ceremony was upon us. I could feel Sky watching me during the service but I didn’t once look her way. I couldn’t because I knew that if I did I’d break down. And no one wants to see that.  
The service was thankfully short and to the point, however I had to restrain myself from lunging across at my brother and punching him in the face when they exchanged their vows and mentioned trust, faithfulness and their future children together. I know I still didn’t have a definite confirmation from either of them, but I didn’t need one. I knew the truth. And the truth is going to come out.  
++  
The reception was in full swing and it was the part of the evening for the speeches and toasts and I stood to give my speech amidst modest applause and gripping the microphone in one hand and my double scotch on the rocks in the other hand I looked around the room, glancing at Skylar then at Tay and clearing my throat I begin to speak. “You know. Most of you here have known us for a long time, you’ve been there for the ups and downs, the career highlights and lows and then the personal ones too. What you might not realise though is just how generous my brother is. You see, he gave me something. Well, no.. he didn’t actually give it to me, he gave it to my girlfriend while at the same time he took something from me. He took something precious and turned it into shit.” I pause for the shocked gasps that come from people around the room before looking at Tay who was staring at me, wide eyed and his mouth gaping. He catches my eye and says ‘don’t do this..’ and it causes me to laugh, “Don’t do this he just said..” I tell the room, “Well guess what brother. I’m doing it. Pretty much like how you did my girlfriend and got her pregnant..” I turn to the room and wave my arms to the sides, not caring that my drink spills, “That’s right folks. My wonderful, caring, considerate brother – gave MY girlfriend a baby. You know Tay, most people when they come to visit family members, bring a gift – usually it’s something like candy or something random… I think you’re the first person I know who came and brought your cock!”  
My father stands at this point and tries to take the microphone away from me and I stare him down before turning back to Tay , not noticing Skylar leaving the room with Benjamin.   
“Do you have ANYTHING to say for yourself Tay ? Because I am seconds away from walking out of this room and out of your life for good. You’re nothing but a whore. A dirty slut who has to always to take what’s mine. You know what? I’m through with this and through with you.”  
I turn to the stunned and distraught crowd and announce loudly, “From this moment on. I have no brother.” And dropping the microphone to the floor I throw my drink in Taylors face and stalk from the room.


	18. Epilogue

I walk home from the reception, not caring where I went or what the fallout would be from my speech. I hoped that I’d caused my brother a fraction of the pain he’d caused me. It might have been childish to do what I did, but I honestly couldn’t care at this point in time.  
I give into my tears as I cross the large bridge that covered the river and I come to a stop as sobs start to wrack my body and I grip tightly to the fence and for a moment as I straighten up, I consider throwing myself into the murky depths below. Instead, I reach into the inside pocket of my jacket and pull out the small velvet box. In it was the ring that I’d planned to give to Skylar, but now I didn’t know what to do. I crack open the lid and look at the sparkling diamond and the pain grows to an almost unbearable level and as I start to close the lid a large crack of thunder jolts my sense and the flash of lightening picks up the colour in the ring. I snap the lid closed and shake my head as I realise it had started to rain at some point and I was drenched.   
I look back down at the river as it churns and dances beneath the bridge and in an instant I make a decision and bringing back my arm, I toss the box containing the ring into the water. Not caring anymore and knowing that the future with Skylar was nothing but a pipe dream.  
Life isn’t meant to be easy, but it’s sure as sugar not meant to go like this.   
I don’t understand why this had to happen to me and I don’t think I ever will. But as I walk the last few miles to the house, I realise that I have to look at this in the right way. I have to learn from the mistakes and move forward. I have too much love to give and now, no one to give it to.  
Who knows what lay around the corner.  
I guess we’ll make that a story for another day…

The End   
(for now)


End file.
